


Child of the Universe

by smarmsi



Series: Old EXO Drabbles From Tumblr [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Child Kim Jongdae | Chen, Gen, Outer Space, Parent Kim Joonmyun | Suho, Parent-Child Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-11-19 22:28:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11322999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smarmsi/pseuds/smarmsi
Summary: Chen Sees for the first time.





	Child of the Universe

The nightshades part for the patter of little feet, careful not to trip the young boy as he runs.

“Joonmyun! Joonmyun!” a shrill voice cuts through the quiet. A man straightens from tending the flowers, hair a dazzling blonde against the dark sky.

“What is it, Chenchen?” he asks. The little boy comes to a stop, chest heaving. Flowers wrap around his legs, purple blossoms opening to release their pollen, and as it floats up the boy breathes it in, breath slowing. Joonmyun smiles. The shades had always liked Jongdae.

“Joonmyun, I Saw! I Saw!” The boy’s arms flail with excitement, and Joonmyun bends to kneel in front of him, a smile breaking on his face.

“Really? That’s amazing, Jongdae! Tell me about it. What did you See?” Joonmyun had known this would happen soon; the signs had been coming for a while, but it was a relief to know that the Sight had shown itself.

“I was on the Gazing Hill and I was looking and looking really hard and my eyes started to hurt but I remember you said to always keep looking so I did and I Saw! It was only for a little because my eyes hurt so much but I saw a flash of something blue and white, like a circle! So I ran back here and the shades healed my eyes and does that mean I’m like you?” Joonmyun is prepared for the barrage of words and nods and smiles along. He grins wide at the question, grabbing Jongdae in a hug. The nightshades wrap both of them in an embrace, releasing a haze of dust into the air. Jongdae giggles.

“Yes, Chenchen, this means you’re like me,” Joonmyun answers, heart singing in glee. “I’m so proud of you, sweetie!” Jongdae smacks a wet kiss on his cheek and laughs, happy and clear.

Jongdae pulls away from the hug gently, careful not to harm the flowers, and Joonmyun marvels at how tenderly he handles them, always attentive and considerate. No wonder they love him. Once they’re free, Jongdae grabs his hand and tugs him along, words tumbling out of his mouth like a waterfall.

They run toward the Gazing Hill, hand-in-hand, as the nightshades part and release sparkling dust in their wake. Joonmyun realizes absently that the shades must be preparing to release their blossoms into the void above. The last release had been before Jongdae had come.

Finally they stand on the crest of the hill. Joonmyun turns his eyes to the black abyss above, eyes immediately drawn to the planet that is as constant to him as the shades. Though he can See it easily, he knows Jongdae can’t, and looks down to see the boy squinting, straining his eyes to catch a glimpse of it. The boy’s face looks about ready to burst with how intense his gaze is, and Joonmyun laughs.

Jongdae looks crestfallen when nothing shows itself, eyes tearing up. “I can’t See anything, Joon. I thought I Saw it! I swear I Saw it! Why can’t I See anything?” His voice wobbles and Joonmyun kneels, wiping the tears away.

“It will come, Chenchen, don’t worry. My Sight took forever to manifest itself. You’ve Seen it once, you’ll See it again, sweetie. Everything will become clearer and more defined, and soon you’ll be able to look up and See without even squinting,” he consoles the boy. Jongdae gives him a hopeful, watery smile.

“Really?” he asks. Joonmyun smiles and kisses his forehead.

“Really,” he says. Reassured, Jongdae perks up.

“Tell me what you See, Joon!” A common pasttime, with Jongdae standing next to him squinting at the black sky and Joonmyun telling the stories he Sees. Jongdae always sighs when he Sees nothing and tells Joonmyun his stories sound like fairytales. (And maybe they are, in a way.)

Joonmyun stands and holds his hand out to Jongdae, who takes it and scoots closer. Joonmyun turns once again to the dark sky, eyes focusing. the blue planet comes closer, growing and growing until Joonmyun can See every life threaded in a golden web, interwoven and tangled together. He picks one out and follows the thread to its origin.

And then, he begins to tell the story. “I See…”

And Jongdae listens, and the nightshades listen, and everything is quiet save the sound of Joonmyun’s voice and the stories he tells, of the millions of people that live and breathe and move on that planet so far away, that planet that Joonmyun will guard for eternity.

**Author's Note:**

> cross-posted to tumblr here: http://smarmsi.tumblr.com/post/99275125481/child-of-the-universe


End file.
